Part of the Team?
by Matchin' Laces
Summary: After an arguement with Raven leaves Beast Boy thinking the Teen Titans don't need him, he goes off in search of someone who does, leading him to a local gang. Eventually RavBB romance.
1. Default Chapter

Notes: Ok, this is my first Teen Titans fic. I'd like to thank my wonderful boyfriend for helping me write this. He had a lot of great ideas. He could have refused to help me, but I'm glad that he thought the basic idea of this up and even wrote part of it. And of course, I don't own the Teen Titans. If you don't recognize them, they belong to me. And pretend that they don't know who the Teen Titans are...or know very little about them.  
  
Part of the Team?  
  
A shriek sounded from Raven's room as the door flew open, a green blur flying out of it. Beast Boy groaned in pain as he hit the opposite wall. He looked up at Raven in the doorway, wincing as he saw her glaring at him.

"For someone small, you sure are strong," he told her weakly, laughing nervously. He shrieked again as she stepped closer, glaring down at him.

The sounds of footsteps came pounding down the hall. Soon, the other three titans came into view, "What happened," Robin demanded, seeing the scene in front of him.

Starfire appeared from behind him, "Are we under attack?" She glanced around, half-expecting to see some villain appear any second.

Cyborg just looked between the glaring Raven to the cowering Beast Boy, "What did you do BB?"

"It was just a practical joke," Beast Boy shot back, trying to sound innocent, but failing miserably.

"A practical joke on Raven," Cyborg shouted, "What were you thinking?!"

"That's what I would like to know," Raven said, her voice full of anger and impatience.

"Hey, it was pretty funny," BB told her, "Turning into a raven and hiding in your room. Who knew you'd freak out like that though?" He winced, reminded of the bruises he has received in payment of his prank.

"You thought that was funny," Raven yelled.

"At least I have a sense of humor," BB muttered, a little too loud actually. Silence came over the group for a minute.

"Oh, look at the time," Robin said, staring at an invisible watch on his wrist, "Let's go get some lunch." Star stared back and forth blankly, "Star!" Robin grabbed her arm and began to drag her away.

"Oh," Star replied before willingly following Robin.

"I just remembered I need to recharge my battery," Cyborg said, who before leaving, whispered over to Beast Boy, "You in trouble!"

BB was left alone with Raven, so in a panic he cried out, "Hey! Guys? Don't we need to train...or clean or something? Anything?!" Receiving no reply, he did what anyone in his position would do. No, not stand and face the !!!

He quickly turned into a rhino and attempted to run left, but found himself stopped by Raven. Skidding suddenly and doing a U-turn, he turned into a cheetah, but was meet with a pair of dark shoes in front of him. Changing into an eagle, he flew to the ceiling, trying to reach the air vent and escape Raven's wraith, but found himself blocked again.

Taking one last chance and turning into a snake, he tried to slip into another room, only to once again by stopped by Raven, who was becoming more and more impatient. She had enough and lifted BB into the air with her powers. As he rose, BB turned into a chicken, clucking madly before changing back into himself again to try and beg for his life.

"I didn't mean anything by it Rae," he said, down on his knees and giving her a desperate look, "It was just a joke."

"First of all, don't call me Rae," Raven told him coldly, "Second, are pranks the only thing you're good for?"

"What do you mean by that," Beast Boy asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Think about it Beast Boy," Raven said, "You don't have Robin's fighting skills, strength like Cyborg, starbolts like Star or telekinesis like me. All you can do are some circus tricks."

"I do what I can," Beast Boy retorted.

"When was the last time you defeated a monster," she asked him, "Really, your powers just aren't good enough for the superhero profession. I don't even know why you're part of this team."

"I thought you trusted me," he told her, hurt in his voice, "I thought it was enough that I went into your mind and fought for you. Guess I was wrong." With that, he spun on his heel and walked away, a seldom seen scowl on his face. Raven waited until he was out of sight before retreating back to her room, the door slamming behind her.  
  
XXX

The next morning at ten, everyone was in the kitchen. But this time, there was no fighting about meat and tofu from Cyborg and Beast Boy. No corny jokes sounded in the room and no green animals were wandering around the kitchen.

"Has anyone seen BB today," Robin asked, noticing the lack of the green titan. Cyborg shrugged. Raven didn't say anything, just continued to drink the herbal tea she had made that morning.

Star glanced up from her spot at the table, "I will go check on him," she volunteered. She exited from the kitchen and went to BB's room. The door was closed, of course, but no sound came from behind it. She knocked softly before cautiously easing the door open, "Beast Boy?"

She was surprised to see that the room was clean. For once she could actually see where his bed was. As she walked over, she noticed that the sheets were flat against the mattress, the pillow fluffed up. Upon reaching the bed, she discovered a solitary sheet of paper neatly folded on the pillow. Star picked it up, opening the page to read it.  
  
When Star returned to the kitchen, silence met her. She was staring down at the note in her hand in shock. Robin was the first to appear at her side.

"What is it," he asked her. She didn't say a word, just silently handed him the paper, "What's this?"

"I found it in Beast Boy's room," she answered quietly, "I do not understand Robin. Where did he go?" Robin looked at her for a second before turning his eyes down to the note that he held.

"Well, read it out loud," Cyborg told him.

"Dear Titans," Robin read, "I've decided that I'm not good enough to be a part of the team. I'm going to go somewhere where I'll be appreciated for my skills. Consider this my resignation from the Teen Titans. BB."

"Big word," Raven commented indifferently from the table.

"He left," Cyborg asked, breaking the silence that followed after Raven's comment. He turned to Raven, "Don't you care at all?"

"I can't afford to care," Raven responded, "So Beast Boy's gone?"

"I can't believe you," Cyborg yelled at her, "One of your teammates runs off and all you can say is 'I can't afford to care'?"

"Do you think I can help it," Raven told him angrily, "I have to control my emotions, or did you forget? I can't go around crying for Beast Boy even if I wanted to."  
  
XXX

Beast Boy flew down to the city in the form of a hawk. He landed on the ground, changing back into his normal self. It was still dark outside, but he could see fine with the light from the moon. After a moment, he decided that it wouldn't be the best idea to go wandering around the city, where most everybody knew him, and enemies could be anywhere. With this thought, he changed quickly into a dog, hoping that the light wouldn't give away his green fur.

He walked down the street, looking for somewhere to stay for the night. Since last night's argument, he didn't feel welcome in the tower. Maybe Raven was right, his powers weren't very helpful.

Hearing sounds from up the street, he curiously headed in that direction. Turning into the alley where the sounds came from, BB discovered three teens with spray paint cans, graffiti covering one of the brick walls.

The clicking of the dog's nails on the concrete caught one of the vandal's attention. He scowled down at the creature, "Get away from here you mutt!" The other two teens turned in BB's direction, "Stupid dog!"

One of them threw a spray can in his direction. In order to avoid being hit, Beast Boy changed back into his regular self, blocking the can with his hand. After that, no sound was heard for a while. "Awesome dude," one of the teens called, "How did you do that?"

"I have skills," BB said, enjoying the attention.

"We could use a guy like you," the second guy said after a second, "What do you say?" The teen held out his hand, which BB shook after a moment's hesitation. At least somebody appreciated his talent.

"All right," the first shouted, "Welcome to the gang!"

"I'm Blackjack," the second introduced himself, "These are Aqua and Idiot."

"Hey," Idiot yelled, crossing his arms angrily. He turned to BB, "I'm Shad, not idiot."

"You sure act like one," Aqua commented dryly. It was then that BB realized that it was a girl, "Idiot is just Blackjack's little nickname for him, because it's easier to say. Rolls off the tongue."

The three stepped into the light, allowing Beast Boy to have his first glimpse of them. Blackjack was the tallest of the three and had jet-black hair that touched his shoulders and piercing brown eyes, just a shade away from black.

Shad was in the middle with bleach blonde hair and light brown eyes. Aqua was the shortest and had dark blue hair, cut about an inch short of her shoulders. Ice-blue eyes showed slightly from behind too long bangs. All were wearing loose jeans and over-sized shirts, especially in Aqua's case because of her height.

"We'll show you to our place," Blackjack told the newcomer, "It's not far."  
  
XXX

The next day, Beast Boy woke up to the smell of dust and dirt. Sitting up from the abandoned warehouse floor, he sneezed before taking a look around him. Blackjack was leaning against the far wall, eyes gazing before him. The other two were nowhere in sight. BB looked over at the leader.

"Where's Aqua and Shad," he asked. Blackjack looked calmly over at him.

"Finding you a disguise," Blackjack replied, "The green skin kinda...gives you away." BB chuckled quietly at this. He had almost forgotten about it, "They'll be back soon." Almost as if on cue, the two members walked in at that moment. They each dumped a pile of clothes on the floor.

"Have your pick," Shad told BB. Beast Boy walked over and sifted through the baggy jeans, loose sweatshirts, hats and gloves. He finally decided on some jeans with large pockets, a dark green sweatshirt, black gloves and a black baseball cap.

"Thanks," BB said, nodding at the two.

"Whatever," Aqua replied, "It was no problem." Even though the remark was sarcastic, BB thought he heard a bit of humor in the words.

"Good thing it's almost winter," BB commented on his outfit choice. The others laughed slightly at this.

"What's your name," Shad asked suddenly, "I just remembered that we...forgot to ask you that." Beast Boy froze. He couldn't tell them his real name...or they'd know that he was a Teen Titan...or used to be one.


	2. A New Name for BB

Notes: Ok, this is all about finding BB a name. It's supposed to be a funny chapter that allows you to get to know the other characters better. Oh, and there's a reason why Aqua acts like Raven. It'll have a point later in the story. Once again, pretend the 3 gang members have little to no idea who the Teen Titans are.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. I only own Aqua, Shad, and Blackjack. I also don't own anything related to the musical 'Annie', which you will soon find out. Yeah, and no offense if you like 'Annie'. I am performing in it, so I do have to suffer through all the songs every day. I also don't own anything related to Garfield.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"My...name...is," Beast Boy said, stalling for time, but no name came to him. He nervously looked over at the others.  
  
"Do you want us to think of a nickname for you," Blackjack asked, smirking in BB's direction, "Too scared to tell your real name?"  
  
"Of course not," Beast Boy told him, a look of annoyance on his face. He went silent suddenly, tapping his pointer fingers together, "Yeah, could ya?"  
  
"How about Animal," Shad suggested, "That would be so cool!"  
  
"It's already taken," Aqua told him, rolling his eyes, "Besides, that's lame."  
  
"How about Ani for short," Shad asked, and then took a deep breath, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow!" Aqua shrieked in terror and covered her ears quickly, her eyes shutting in pain.  
  
"Make him stop," she ordered Blackjack. With a simple snap of the fingers, Shad stopped singing. Aqua opened her eyes and looked up. She sighed and removed her hands from her ears, "Thank you...I hate that song. It's way too optimistic."  
  
"You're only a day a-" Shad sang out, but Aqua quickly slammed her hand over his mouth. She turned to BB, "Now you know exactly why we call him Idiot." Beast Boy looked at her, looking a little frightened.  
  
"Does this happen a lot around here," he asked, just as Aqua shrieked, this time because Shad had decided to use her hand for his drool disposal.  
  
"You are so immature," she told Shad and then looked at BB, "And yes, this happens more often than you'd know. No thanks to Idiot here."  
  
"Hey-," Shad yelled, only to be cut off. Aqua had used his shirt for a towel.  
  
"You two can fight later," Blackjack told them, "Right now, let's get our new member a name." There was silence as everyone thought for a moment.  
  
"How about Mold," Shad asked. He shrugged as everyone looked at him, "What, he is green. Mold is green. It makes sense. He could be slimy, you never know. Who wants to touch him?"  
  
"The only thing slimy here is you," Aqua replied, "And I don't have to touch you to know that. Maybe we should have nicknamed you Mold."  
  
"I always thought I was more of a plain old, boring green," Beast Boy spoke up, "I never thought 'moldy'."  
  
"You're not moldy green," Aqua told him, "And you're not slimy. Believe me, I've lived here with Shad and Blackjack long enough to know." She glared at the blond, who appeared completely oblivious to her presence.  
  
"Uh, thanks, I guess" BB said.  
  
"It's a compliment," Blackjack spoke up, causing BB to turn around quickly to face him, looking slightly frightened, "We've lived here for a year now. You get to know people."  
  
"A year," BB asked, "You've lived here that long?"  
  
"Well, me and Shad anyway," Blackjack told him, "Aqua's been here for about four months now."  
  
"Yeah, remember how she beat you up," Shad jumped in. Blackjack glared at him, and Shad shrunk back, "I mean how you defended yourself..." he trailed off as he noticed the glare was still aimed in his direction, "I'll just shut up now."  
  
"You do that," Blackjack agreed.  
  
"Can we talk about the past later," Aqua asked, crossing her arms, "What happened to thinking up a name?"  
  
"You're the one who kept turning my ideas down," Shad told her, like his ideas were the best ever. Aqua rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Wonder why," she muttered.  
  
"Like you had any ideas," Shad shot back.  
  
"My real name is Garfield if that helps," BB suddenly blurted out, obviously to stop the fighting. In seconds, Shad was laughing so hard, he fell to the ground, gasping for air.  
  
"It's a miracle," Blackjack said, "You actually got Shad to stop talking for five seconds." He and Aqua groaned as Shad caught his breath.  
  
"Gar-Garfield," Shad asked, "L-like that orange c-cat?"  
  
"Dude, I'm green," BB reminded him, putting emphasis on the color.  
  
"Grass is green," Shad exclaimed suddenly, jumping to his feet and pointing his finger in the air.  
  
"We are not going to call him Grass," Aqua told him, sighing in frustration. Shad began to speak again, "Or leaves, limes, or anything else green that you can think of."  
  
"Broccoli," Shad shouted, then paused, "Wait, no one likes broccoli. I know, how about Green Machine. It rhymes!"  
  
"I think he might have something," Blackjack admitted, a little reluctantly.  
  
"Am I the only sane one left," Aqua asked, looking up in the air as if it would reveal all the answers.  
  
"Just take off the green," Blackjack explained, "We can call him Machine."  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, it makes sense," Aqua said, "but since when have you agreed with Idiot over there?"  
  
"It's Shad," he yelled out, but Aqua ignored him.  
  
"Yeah, that scares me too," Blackjack told her, then turned to Beast Boy, "What do you think?"  
  
"Anything's better than Mold," BB answered, shuddering at the thought of the horrible name.  
  
"Welcome to the gang Machine," Blackjack said, holding out a hand, which BB shook quickly. Shad ran over to give him a high-five and shook his hand vigorously. Aqua simply nodded at him in her own greeting.  
  
Any guilt about leaving the Teen Titans left in that moment. Here, there were people who appreciated him...needed him. He was part of a team.  
  
Shout-Outs:  
  
Soraoathkeeper – You're welcome about the review. I already knew that his real name was Garfield, but thank you for telling me anyway. It's nice to know that someone likes the story enough to help. And you're right, Raven and BB's personalities balance out each other perfectly.  
  
Person – I hope you liked this chapter. I will be sure to update whenever I possibly can. 


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Yeah, I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've been busy. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Rae BB Forever!

XXX

Back at the Tower, everything was unusually quiet. Raven suddenly opened her eyes, ending her meditation. For some strange reason, she couldn't concentrate that day. She sighed and glanced around her room, her eyes resting on the bookshelf where only days earlier, Beast Boy had sat waiting for her.

Beast Boy. She had never really imagined what it would be like if he was gone. Actually, she had, but it had been nothing like this. Instead of the eternity of peace that she had thought up, she found herself missing the laughter that floated down the halls after he played a practical joke.

Still, she had to admit, that his prank on her had been clever. He knew enough about her to disguise himself as an animal that wouldn't look foreign in her room. And he hid in a convenient spot where she couldn't see that the bird was actually green. He waited until the perfect moment to strike too...when her attention was directed at something else.

You're just too used to him that's all, Raven told herself suddenly, ending all thoughts. You couldn't possibly miss him. After all, he was usually annoying and always telling those ridiculously corny jokes. It was almost impossible for him to take anything seriously, unless it involved himself.

He never weighed the consequences of his actions before acting on his plans. Beast Boy was outgoing though, she would give him that, but it was to the point that it bothered her. The weird thing was that it didn't bother her as much after a while.

Realizing exactly what she was thinking about, Raven stopped herself from going any further. The thoughts of the former green titan were getting her confused. Did she miss him or not? She got what she wanted...didn't she?

She stood and headed to the kitchen. The room was disturbingly quiet. Cyborg was sitting at the table, breakfast set out for everyone. She could plainly see the bored look on his face though. That's also when she noticed the extra plate that was set out mistakenly...in Beast Boy's spot.

Raven didn't touch the plate, and instead pretended to ignore the extra dish. A second glance however showed that it wasn't meat on the plate but tofu. She removed her gaze from it and looked at Cyborg. His eyes were fixed on that spot, almost as if he half expected Beast Boy to come walking in, proclaiming that the whole thing was a joke.

She switched her glance over to Starfire. The usual excitement in the alien's eyes was gone, replaced by a look of worry and grief. In the place of a smile was an emotionless face, much like hers was usually described. Robin was beside Starfire, not really paying much attention to anything around him.

So this is what it's like with him gone, Raven thought. It hadn't hit her until now that Beast Boy was more important to the team than she thought. He might not have had the strongest powers, but he had the energy to crack jokes, even after something terrible happened. He lightened the mood after the storm. That was his purpose.

"This is ridiculous," Robin said suddenly, startling everyone but Raven, who had been studying his expression, "We have to go out and find him."

"Wonderful," Starfire exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"That's the best idea you've had all day," Cyborg agreed.

"Sure. Whatever," Raven said.

"Ok, Star, you check..." Robin was cut off by a loud alarm that sounded throughout the tower.

"Let's go," Starfire told him, sounding unlike her usual hyper self, "We can search for him after we take care of this." Robin nodded his agreement slowly, already leading them outside the tower and to the crime scene.

XXX 

Machine looked up suddenly, his ears picking up a sound from outside. He glanced from Blackjack, who was shoving money into his pockets to the dark of night outside.

"Someone's coming," Machine said suddenly, turning his attention from the convenience store window. Aqua risked a glance at him from her job of handing Shad bills from the register.

"Let's get out of here," she spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence that followed, "He could be right." Blackjack glared at her, but grabbed the last of the money before heading for the back exit. Shad followed behind him and Aqua waited for Machine to come before she headed in the same direction.

Just as they started running down the street, the sound of people outside the store front sounded, their footsteps echoing in the still of night.

"What," a male's voice was heard, "There's nobody here!" 

"Yes, where are the villains," a female voice sounded.

"They have to be around here somewhere," another male voice came in, "Search the area."

XXX 

The four gang members ran until they reached their so-called home. Shad was gasping for breath and collapsed onto the floor the second he entered. Aqua and Blackjack were doubled over, leaning against the wall for support. But Machine looked perfectly fine and closed the door behind him.

"Who were they," Aqua finally asked when she caught her breath. She looked to Machine, because she knew that neither Shad nor Blackjack knew the answer.

"The Teen Titans," Machine replied with an edge of coldness in his voice, "They're the protectors of this city."

"You know them," Blackjack asked.

"No," Machine replied harshly, "but I know of them. They think they're better thane everyone else."

"And how do you know that," Aqua questioned.

"That's not important," Machine told her, "We just got to be more careful from now on."

"Obviously you know the most about them," Blackjack pointed out, "I guess we have no choice but to trust you on this."

XXX

"Nobody's here," Raven announced minutes later, "Whoever it was, they left in a hurry."

"This is most confusing," Starfire commented, "Don't we usually catch the criminals?"

"Yeah Star, we usually do," Robin told her.

"How could they have heard us coming," Cyborg asked, "This is a amateur job. They couldn't have heard us."

"Guess that's one more mystery we have to solve," Raven replied.

XXX

Shout-Outs:

Soraoathkeeper – Hope you liked this chapter. I'll be trying to update more often now, but I do have school, so I'll try to at least once a week if possible.

Werewolf – Thanks! I hope you liked this new chapter. Hopefully, I'll be updating again soon. And you'll be glad to know that I didn't rush...obviously, lol.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: I am so sorry everyone! I got banned from updating due to one of my other stories.

I was going to write and update the very day it happened too. As always, Rae and BB forever! In honor of my return, I proudly wear my Raven cloak. Yes, I made one for Halloween.

(Warehouse)

Machine woke the next morning to whispers floating throughout the room. He opened his eyes groggily and glanced around. Aqua and Shad were sitting against one of the walls, having what looked to be a deep conversation. This came as a bit of a surprise to Machine...they hadn't seemed to get along before.

"What are you guys doing up," Machine asked quietly. The two looked up quickly, startled at the sound. They looked over at him, Shad with a sleepy smile on his face.

"Oh sorry," Aqua said, "We didn't know you were awake."

"Actually, I heard you talking," Machine smiled, "I do have sensitive hearing you know?" He pointed to his ears and laughed.

"You didn't hear what we were talking about, did you," Aqua asked with a slight blush.

"No," Machine told her, "Though I am wondering you two are talking at all. I thought you didn't get along."

"Of course we don't," Shad cut in, "At least we usually don't."

"We get along find when it's early," Aqua explained. Machine glanced at her in confusion.

"Why," he asked finally, a intelligent thought finally making it's way through.

Aqua actually laughed, "Too tired to argue?" Shad nodded quickly.

"Ok," Machine replied slowly, puzzle by their behavior. Aqua was actually laughing and Shad was barely talking at all. Something was definitely going on. He finally noticed the absence of the gang leader, "Where's Blackjack?"

"He's out getting some things," Shad jumped in, "I hope he remembered my candy bar."

"We have more important thing to worry about than candy," Aqua told him, resuming her usual strict manner. She turned back to Machine, "He'll be gone for a while."

"So...what do we do until then," Machine asked her.

"I don't know," she answered, "We don't usually do anything. What do you want to do?"

"How did you get a name like Aqua anyway," Machine questioned. Aqua sighed, but started her story.

(Titans Tower)

"It doesn't make any sense," Cyborg exclaimed, "People just don't disappear into thin air!"

"Well, somehow, they did," Raven looked at him steadily, little patience reflected in her eyes.

"But how," Cyborg asked, looking around at the group. They all looked as confused as he did.

"Some things don't have an explanation," Raven finally told him in her usual dull monotone. She glared at him and he returned the steady gaze. They hadn't been getting along since Beast Boy left.

Starfire looked between her feuding teammates, "Friends, please do not fight."

"Star's right," Robin cut in, "Fighting won't get us anywhere, not between friends."

"She's not my friend," Cyborg stated, "She's the reason BB went away."

"Do you think I meant for him to leave," Raven asked him. Receiving silence as her only answered, she stood, "I'm going to meditate."

"Not now," Robin stopped her, "We need to figure out what happened."

"Then figure it out without me," Raven replied, "It's clear that I'm not wanted here." With that, she walked away swiftly, never looking back. Everyone watched her retreating figure, not talking until she was out of sight.

"What was that about," Robin asked, turning to Cyborg, "You two have been fighting more since BB left."

"No thanks to her," Cyborg replied.

"Friend Cyborg," Starfire said slowly, "Raven...is not strong in the act of showing emotions. Maybe inside...she really does care."

(Raven's room)

Raven repeated the three words over and over, trying to clear her mind. But like all other times, she found that she couldn't concentrate at all. She sighed in aggravation, floating back down to her bed. She pushed back the twisting feeling in her stomach...the feeling of guilt.

In a way, she knew that Cyborg was right, but part of her wanted to outright deny it, to say that she had nothing to do with it at all. That she wasn't to blame for Beast Boy leaving. She closed her eyes, hoping to lessen the guilt that way.

I hope he's ok, she thought. Her eyes snapped open at this thought. Was it possible that she actually missed the annoying green one? The others were definitely feeling the loss of the green titan, that much was obvious in their actions.

"Raven," a voice asked from outside the door.

"What is it Star," Raven replied, knowing that Star was the only one brave enough to come up to her room.

"We were going to look for Beast Boy again," Star told her, "Would you like to join us?" Raven sighed and looked around. She couldn't concentrate in her environment anyway.

Raven opened her door and slipped into the hallway. She turned to Star, "Let's go." Star looked worriedly after her friend as she followed after her to the door.

Shout-Outs:

Clow12391 – Glad you like it. I'll try to update again this week to make up for the lost time.

Soraoathkeeper – I don't really like being a senior in high school. Anyway, I've always wondered the same thing about BB not being there too.

Snow Werewolf – I rock? Yeah! And don't worry, I won't rush. I like my stories to be well-written.


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: Hey, I'm back, yet again with another chapter. I would have updated sooner, but I have a major project to work on...it's called the Senior Research Project.

(Warehouse)

Machine looked at the only girl member of the gang with wide eyes, before he burst out laughing, "You actually did that?"

"Hey, he scared me," Aqua shrugged, "I was only trying to defend myself."

"You should have seen Blackjack's face," Shad jumped in and then imitated the look, a strange look of surprise and anger, "She nailed him right in the eye!"

"Talking about me," a voice asked suddenly and the three turned to find Blackjack standing a few feet away. His hands were full of bags and he dropped them on the floor.

"So what if we were," Aqua replied, not caring that Blackjack looked angry, "What did you get?"

"The usual," Blackjack told her, "Food, some extra clothes and other things."

Aqua turned to Machine, noting the confused look on his face, "Every time we rob a store or something like that, Blackjack will go out the next day and get some stuff. I can't go, because they think I'll steal something." She pointed to her blue hair, "And Shad forgets what we're supposed to get. We learned all that out the hard way."

Shad groaned at the reminder, "That wasn't my fault," he brightened suddenly, "Get my candy bar?"

"Like you need it," Blackjack said, but tossed the bar of chocolate in Shad's direction, "He has enough sugar in his system as it is."

"At least it gets him to shut up," Aqua stated, glancing at Shad, "For about a minute."

Shad glanced over at the group, "Want some?" Everyone immediately shook their heads and he happily went back to devouring the sweet.

"I will never understand him," Aqua looked at Shad strangely, "Anyway, I don't think I want to."

"Everybody deserves a second chance," Machine told her.

(With the Titans)

"I do not see Beast Boy anywhere," Starfire's voice came through the communicator.

"Of all the days for him to be smart and leave his communicator behind," Raven commented.

"Are you implying that you might actually miss BB," Cyborg asked.

"No, I'm only implying that he might actually have half a brain," Raven responded.

"Can you two stop it," Robin's voice questioned, "We have something more important to do."

"The fact that Beast Boy can change into any animal doesn't help," Raven said, "He could be anywhere and we wouldn't know."

"He wouldn't stay in animal form for too long," Cyborg replied, "He'd only do that in serious situations."

"Is this not a serious situation," Starfire asked.

"Yes it is," Robin told her, "but he means that Beast Boy probably wouldn't stay in animal form in daylight. Green animals would look too unnatural in the city."

"So he is probably hiding out somewhere," Starfire said.

"Exactly," Robin replied, "We just have to figure out where."

(Raven's mind)

"Where is he," Rage yelled, "I'm gonna kill him."

"Killing Beast Boy won't do anything," Intelligence commented.

"Cyborg already doesn't like us," Timid spoke up for a rare moment, "We caused Beast Boy to go away."

"We didn't do anything," Denial said, stepping forward in her cloudy blue cloak, "We're not responsible."

"I miss BB," Happy said, sounding much unlike herself, "He used to make us laugh. He was nice to us. He noticed us."

"Stop acting so glum," a black cloaked Raven, Sarcasm, told her, "That's Timid's job. One of her is enough around here. We don't need two."

"Stop, all of you," Intelligence yelled suddenly, "We need to help Raven think. We all know that we want Beast Boy back."

"Yes, we do," a new Raven stepped out, a purple cloak swishing at her ankles, "We all do."

Shout-Outs:

Calisto – I'm glad you like it so much. Here's your update.

Snow Werewolf – I believe you just read the chapter for the week. After reading your review, I got right to work on it.


	6. Chapter 6

Notes: I'm so sorry that this update took so long. My comp wasn't working for a while and I couldn't get on the Internet. I finally fixed it, so here I am!

I'm sad to say that it's nearing the end of the story. If possible, I would write a ton more chapters, but there will only be a few more. Sadly, though, I can't stretch it out that long. But I will continue to write Teen Titan fanfiction. RaeBB Forever!

(Warehouse)

Aqua glanced over at Machine, who was leaning on the wall next to her. She had to lift her gaze to his face from her sitting position. She noted the wondering expression that his face held and her face took on a look of worry. He had been doing that a lot the past few weeks.

"Are you ok," she asked quietly, not usually one to hand out sympathy easily.

Machine snapped out of his trance from the air in front of him and glanced down at her, "Yeah...I'm fine." That being said, he returned his gaze to the air once again.

He had lately been finding his mind wandering to other things lately. It was kinda hard for him to go from Teen Titan, protector of the city to gang member, the ones wrecking the city in the first place. He might have been with the gang for a while, but he doubted the change would ever be easy. He saw the motive behind the three teens' actions. After all, he also had to steal to eat...even to stay alive now.

"Do you miss them," Aqua's voice broke through his concentration.

"Do I miss who," he asked, trying to avoid the subject.

"Your friends," she replied.

"What makes you sure that I had friends," he asked, trying to keep his face blank, but knew that he was slowly losing the battle.

"By the way you stare at nothing," she replied, "Some of us do that dreaming of better things...but you're dreaming of something that you used to have. I can tell by that far-off look you have."

"I don't wanna talk about it," Machine told her, just holding back the side of him that used to be Beast Boy, the one that wanted to go nonstop and make people laugh.

"You were lucky," Aqua finally broke the silence that settled between them, "Most of us don't have someone who cared for us." She looked up at him and for the first time, he saw the longing for something more in her eyes, "Tell me about them."

He paused for a moment, a thought just occurring to him. Beneath Aqua's seemingly indifferent view of the world, she really did care. She had feelings, no matter how much she tried to hide it sometimes. Just like Raven. He was only disappointed that it took him this long to discover that.

Machine sighed. It couldn't hurt, he thought to himself, as long as you don't tell her your secret, "I guess I could do that."

"Yeah, story time," Shad yelled out, running over and plopping down on the ground, eyes intensely focused on him. Blackjack was nowhere in sight, but was probably busy doing something else more important, like always.

"Ok," Machine began slowly, "Well, my best friend was one of those really big guys, the kind you'd expect to see on a football team. But he wasn't all strength, he was an awesome opponent on video games and stuff like that. Inside, he was a normal guy." As Machine started, he noticed the flood of memories that began to pour into his mind. Suddenly, he was regular old Beast Boy again, at least in his mind.

"The only other guy was like a leader to us," he continued, "He never failed to complete a challenge when it was handed to him. Though we sometimes had to bring him back to reality. He kinda had a one-track mind. Then there was the happiness of the group. She doesn't really understand U.S. customs, but she always tried her hardest. She was like everyone's little sister, but we really didn't mind. Then there was..."

Trailing off, the memories were overflowing. Thoughts of Raven, him trying to her approval. He always tried to make her laugh, no matter if his only reward was a glare or a sarcastic remark. He would have tried anything to make her at least smile, breaking the emotionless expression on her face.

"Then there was who," Shad asked, quite impatiently too.

"Shad," Aqua warned, "Give him some time." She looked at Machine, "You must have really liked her."

Machine started at this statement. He had never really considered that he paid more attention to Raven because he liked her. It was just natural instinct for him to try and make everybody possible around him laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I did," he told her, "We were pretty much opposites though. She was dark and mysterious, never laughing or even smiling at one of my jokes. She was one girl you never wanted to cross..."

"Ok guys," Blackjack walked into the room quickly, "Ready to have some fun?" He pulled out a few cans of spray paint and tossed them to everyone.

"I don't know," Aqua told him, "Shouldn't we be lying low after last week?" For the past week or so, the gang had been doing various heists, mostly at convenience stores, gas stations, or a little pick-pocketing in the busy streets.

"This is lying low," Blackjack replied, "I'm sure no one wants to be stuck here all day. Let's go." He quietly headed for the door, the others following slowly behind him.

They stopped a few blocks away, at another brick building. By the shining of lights inside, it was obviously a business. They immediately got to work, drawing images and words on the wall. Machine was the last to start the task.

It was a few minutes later, that Machine picked up the sounds nearby. Before he could warn the others, he found that a shadow had formed over them. He made sure that his hooded sweatshirt was concealing his face before turning to face them.

"A little late night surveillance never hurt," a familiar voice greeted him. Machine quickly noticed Robin standing there, the others behind him. Blackjack, Shad, and Aqua immediately dropped the spray paint and turned to run.

"Not so fast," Raven's voice sounded and a black aura surrounded them. Machine turned his gaze to the ground, hoping that she wouldn't recognize him.

"Who are you," Cyborg asked.

Machine didn't know what happened at that moment. All he remembered was that he reached up and pulled back the hood, revealing his face.

"Beast Boy," Starfire cried out.

Shout-outs:

Snow Werewolf – I'm glad I could make you happy. I love writing this story!

Calisto – You're welcome. Yeah, I have awesome work. Hope you liked this chapter.

Carrot the LuvMachine – Thank you so much! Yeah, I'm glad you like the plot. And I'm really glad that you like my characters. Aqua's based off me and I just made up the rest. Yeah, I think Shad and Aqua kinda like each, no matter how much they try to deny it. Kinda like BB and Rae?

Lee – It rocks! Thank you!

Copy write – I only have a few things to say...if you're going to flame me, at least try to help me improve instead of telling me how much you hate the names or how boring it is. It's my story and I write it how I want. If something's wrong with history or backgrounds, fine, I can understand that. Besides, if it was so boring in the beginning, why did you keep reading?


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: Some of the characters might be OOC, but it's for a good reason. Secondly, I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've seriously been busy lately. Graduation is tonight and I start college this coming Tuesday. I'll try to update more frequently.

After Starfire's outburst, the whole city seemed to go silent. The Teen Titans with looks of astonishment on their faces and three of the four encased in the black aura brought to quiet confusion and shock.

"Beast Boy," Raven whispered, barely audible. The black aura disappeared slowly, as if not of its own choice, dropping the four to the ground. The four winced in pain, but otherwise remained silent. The girl cloaked in blue slowly and deliberately turned away from the group.

"Machine, what's going on," Aqua was the first to break the awkward silence that followed, "Who's Beast Boy?"

"Someone I used to know," he answered, "but not anymore."

"What are you talking about," Cyborg demanded, "You are Beast Boy!"

"I am confused," Starfire commented, "Who is this Machine? And why does Beast Boy not know himself anymore?"

"Star, that is Beast Boy," Robin told her, "But it's not the Beast Boy that we know."

Beast Boy looked over at Raven. Her back was still turned to him and her hood was cast down low on her face. He couldn't see one inch of her pale skin beneath, a single shine of violet from the shadows created by the fabric.

"You work with them," it was Blackjack who spoke, trying to conceal his anger but failing, "You've lied to us all this time?"

"No," Beast Boy tried to defend himself, "I really left the Teen Titans."

"But why," Aqua asked him.

"Because of me…" Raven finally said, her voice quiet and a slight hint of guilt coming through, "It's all my fault."

"It wasn't your fault," Robin told her, then turned back to Beast Boy, "For once I don't know what to say. I'm not sure I can let you back on the team."

"I don't blame you," Beast Boy said, "I don't deserve to be on the team anyway."

"Maybe not," Cyborg spoke up, "But everyone deserves a second chance. I mean, we let Robin back on after he was Red X and when he was Slade's apprentice. You let me back on too."

"Because we were doing our job," Robin told him, "To find out more about Slade, to protect the city. Beast Boy left us of his own free will."

"I did once too," Cyborg argued, "but I came back."

"And when I was going to get married," Starfire spoke up.

"And when I couldn't control my emotions or my powers," Raven said, speaking of when they faced Dr. Light, and also with Malchior, "The point is, Robin, that we've all made mistakes…"

"And we have forgiven each other," Starfire finished.

Robin looked ready to argue, but stopped when he realized that they were right. He turned to look at Beast Boy, and his voice took on a stern edge, "I'm giving you one last chance."

Beast Boy looked relieved for a moment, but his smile slowly faded, "But what about my friends?" He gestured behind him.

"We have no choice on that," Robin said, "We'll have to turn them in." Upon turning back to look at Aqua, Shad, and Blackjack, they evenly met his gaze. Blackjack's eyes slowly narrowed into a glare.

"Guys…" Beast Boy told them, "I'm sorry." Aqua and Shad's glances softened, but Blackjack's eyes narrowed even more.

"Go ahead," Raven spoke up, talking to Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire, "I need to talk to Beast Boy…alone." Her voice was deep and angry as she pulled her hood down. They led Aqua, Shad, and Blackjack away. Beast Boy dared not look up to meet her gaze, expecting a harsh word at any time.

"Raven, I'm…" he began, but she silenced him with a finger over his lips.

"Don't talk," she stated, "Just listen." He fearfully met her gaze and was surprised to find no anger there, "I'm sorry for what I said. I was angry and I wasn't thinking about my words. I didn't know it would lead to this. Now, I don't expect you to…"

"I forgive you," Beast Boy said suddenly, "and I'm sorry too. I overreacted." He could tell that Raven wanted to comment on the unusually long word he used, but instead, she just gave him the faintest of smiles.

"We both did," she agreed. A silence passed between them for a moment.

"So…" Beast Boy said with a sudden grin, "Did ya miss me?" There was another long silence.

"Maybe a little," Raven replied with reluctance, though her voice didn't hide how much she really had.

"I realized a lot of things while I was gone," Beast Boy told her, being serious again, "You really do care, don't you?"

"I do have feelings," she answered, "I just can't show them. Not unless I want someone to get hurt."

Their conversation was interrupted by the distant sound of thunder. Rain drifted lazily from the sky. Raven turned her head up to examined the dark clouds coming in.

"Raven," Beast Boy asked, and she only nodded in reply, "You could never hurt me." She then faced him, more than a little shocked by his words.

He took a step closer to her, raising his hood to cover his face. Reaching his hands up when he stood about a few inches away, he brought her own up.

His hands still gripping the cloth of her hood, he slowly slid them down to the sides of her pale face. The feeling of her smooth, warm skin beneath his fingers made him forget all about the rain around them. He wiped away the cool droplets of water gently. Then without thinking, he leaned forward, brushing his lips lightly against her own.

When she didn't respond, he pulled away a few inches. Her eyes were full of shock at his actions. Then, slowly, she allowed a warm smile to appear on her face. This time she initiated the kiss, with more feeling that Beast Boy knew she had within her. After a few seconds, she pulled away slowly.

"Beast Boy," she asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You ever run away again, and I will hurt you," she told him, a joking tone to her voice.

"I wouldn't think of it," he answered.

(Titans Tower)

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty," Beast Boy sang out for his initiation. He wore the pink dress and wig, while dancing around with the rubber chicken, serenading it with his song. As he did so, he caught Raven's gaze. She was laughing, indeed a rare sight to see, which made him sing louder and dance crazier.

As he finished, the sound of laughter and clapping entered his hearing.

Robin stood up and approached him, "Welcome back."

Beast Boy grinned, "Thanks." He took a bow and then went to sit next to Raven.

"You know," she said, "Pink's not really your color." While she said it in a monotone, he caught the humor in her words.

"And black's not really yours," he replied. She blushed slightly at this, "There are so many other colors in your world."

"It's good to have you back," Raven told him with a small smile. Starfire grabbed him from behind suddenly, lifting him off the ground. Cyborg joined in, taking Starfire and Raven along with him.

"Come on Robin, join the group hug," Starfire said. Beast Boy smiled at the reluctance of his face as he tried to sneak away.

Was he really a part of the team, he asked himself. No, he was a part of a family.

Complete

Shout-Outs:

Soraoathkeeper – Yeah, I finally finished it. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm sorry that it took so long.

Snow Werewolf – I'm glad that you understand. Hope you loved the final chapter as well. I wish I didn't have to end it so soon.

Carrot The LuvMachine – Hey, it's cool that you could imagine the past in the last chapter. That was good to hear.

Geodesic – I'm glad that you like the story. And obviously, you know what happened to everyone. I know it's not really punishment, but to me, wearing pink anything is torture enough. ; )

Mew-xena – I don't know what BB wrote…or rather, didn't know what to make him write. Feel free to use your imagination on that one. Yeah, go BB/RAE!

Copy write – Ok, I'll never hear from you again. But if you ever want to give any 'helpful' advice, feel free.

CRiTiC123 – You think it's wonderful? Thanks. I really appreciate hearing that.

New Shoes – Ok, I updated…finally. And yes, I know that it's good. I'll see you tonight at graduation, okay?

Veral42 – Glad ya like it. I updated it as soon as I could. It's good to get a review from you. Thanks.

DigitalGlowStick – I'm glad you like it. I agree, it is better than the other one, but that'll probably be the one I'll update for a while. And thank you, for thinking my b/f and I are good writers. He writes his own stories on here too. He's 'A Pair of New Shoes'.

Goth-Girl04 – I apologize to her a lot for not updating sooner. I really meant to , but life gets in the way. Hope that this chapter made up for the wait.

LuNa FuTuRe FuTuRe TiTaN – It ruled? Yeah, it does, doesn't it? ; ) Yeah, I'm proud of my work.

RavenOfAzarath – Ok, I hope you liked that chapter.

TheAlabamaKid – Yeah! You love it! It is kinda funny, isn't it?


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